The present invention relates to air bags for use in vehicles and, more particularly, to an air bag retention apparatus for inhibiting full deployment of an air bag during a rescue operation.
Automobile air bags are designed to open during a front end accident when a vehicle collides solidly with an object at a speed more than about ten miles per hour. The air bag is generally formed of a nylon material which is folded up within a reservoir in the central part of a steering wheel. The air bag is inflated during an accident by a controlled explosion inside the steering column. Once activated, the air bag typically fills to its full capacity in approximately 1/20th of a second. The outer nylon surface of the bag may travel at speeds up to 100 miles per hour during the filling operation. The force with which the air bag is filled and the speed at which the outer surface of the air bag travels has resulted in broken bones and shredded tendons to persons involved in automobile accidents in which the air bag has been activated. In addition, the inflation of the air bag typically releases a mixture of corn starch or talcum powder and a small amount of sodium hydroxide. The sodium hydroxide is generated from the propellant which is used to energize the air bag. Sodium hydroxide is a skin and eye irritant and has been known to irritate victims in an auto accident.
While the air bag has been very successful in saving the lives of numerous persons involved in head-on collisions, one drawback of the air bag is that it is typically activated only by a head-on collision. The sensors which are used to activate the air bag are normally located in the front of the vehicle for that purpose. In some accidents in which the collision occurs from a side or at a non-direct head-on angle, the air bag may not be actuated during the collision. Subsequently, rescue persons attempting to remove a victim from the wrecked automobile run the risk that the air bag may be activated by jostling or movement of the steering wheel during the rescue operation. If the rescue person is in an area between the steering wheel and a victim at a time when the air bag is inadvertently activated, severe injury may occur to both the rescuer and the accident victim. Accordingly, it is desirable to provide a means for inhibiting full deployment of an air bag during a rescue operation.